Rossville Wins State!!!!

From CJOnline:
HUTCHINSON — The situation seemingly was anything but a comfortable one for Rossville.
For the first time all season, the top-ranked Bulldawgs were behind in the fourth quarter of a game. Not just any game, mind you, but Saturday’s Class 3A state championship game, trailing undefeated and No. 2 Scott City by a touchdown with eight minutes to play.
    One key starter was out with an injury. Another was limited by injury as well.
    And the offense that had put up the most points in 3A all season was finding yards almost as tough to get as points.
    Tough spot, right? Well, not exactly.
    “It was kind of a good feeling,” Rossville quarterback Tucker Horak said. “We got to show what we were all about and that we were made of something.”
    Given the opportunity, Rossville proved it had the makeup of a champion. The Bulldawgs scored the game’s final 14 points, rallying past Scott City for a 21-14 victory on Horak’s 5-yard touchdown run with 28 seconds to play at Hutchinson’s Gowans Stadium. The win capped a 14-0 season for Rossville and delivered the program’s first state football championship.
    “The thing I’ve loved about Rossville from the get-go was the simple fact that they have a passion for football,” Rossville coach Derick Hammes said. “Gosh dang it, that’s what a coach wants. He wants to go somewhere where they love football and don’t run away from challenges and hard work. This just means so much to me and them.”
    Rossville had to face a challenge square on almost immediately from the start of Saturday's title contest. In the span of a few plays, the Bulldawgs lost starting lineman Isaac Luellen to an elbow injury that required him to be carted off the field, and then Thatcher Horak — the Bulldawgs’ second-most productive offensive player and standout defensive back — to a hip bruise.
Luellen didn't return and Horak was available only on a limited basis and their absence was noticeable, particularly when Scott City used a pair of second-half touchdown passes to erase Rossville’s 7-0 halftime lead.
    Trey O’Neil hit Chantz Yager behind the Rossville secondary for a 30-yard score to tie the game late in the third quarter. After Rossville fumbled it away at the Scott City 17 on its next possession, the Beavers marched down the field and O’Neil hit Sloan Baker all alone for a 34-yard strike with 8:45 left in the game that gave Scott City a 14-7 lead.
Trailing for the first time in the fourth quarter all year, Rossville had met its ultimate challenge.
    “What I saw in the kids in a couple timeouts was I saw them get determined,” Hammes said. “When I saw that, I knew we were going to be OK. It was kind of calming for everybody that, ‘Hey, we’re going to be OK. We’re still in this.’ We weren’t playing our best, but we were still in position and they believed in each other. Ultimately, that got it done for us.”
    The Bulldawgs answered Scott City’s go-ahead score almost immediately. Tucker Horak hit Christian Roduner for a 25-yard gain and then busted runs of 14 and 16 yards to set up Nick Reesor’s 2-yard touchdown plunge, capping a drive that took just 1 minute, 25 seconds. After holding on defense, Rossville got the ball back with 4:24 left and 78 yards from paydirt and a state title. Horak covered 23 on Rossville’s second play and the Bulldawg march was on.
    Methodically, the Bulldawgs moved closer and closer and time ticked off the clock. Runs of 16, 10, 3 and 4 by Horak got the ball to the Scott City 14 and a 1-yard gain by Steckel set up a fourth-and-2 at the Scott City 13.
    Instead of putting the game immediately on the foot of kicker Paul Steinke, the state’s most accurate kicker this year, the Bulldawgs lined up to go for it and Scott City jumped offsides. After a 3-yard run by Reesor, Horak scored up the middle on a 5-yard run and Steinke booted the PAT to cap a year where he went 101 of 101 on kicks.
    “Our line has been dominating all year and I just trusted them,” said Horak, who finished with 212 yards rushing and two touchdowns. “We stuck to our system and pulled it out in the end. ... I knew they had a good defense, but there was really no doubt in my mind we were going to go down and score.”
    There was still the matter of stopping Scott City in the final 28 seconds. O’Neil had thrown for 179 yards, but hurt his right arm on a defensive play on Rossville’s first scoring drive of the quarter.
The Beavers completed a reverse pass from Brett Meyer to Yager for 21 yards on first down, but O’Neil’s next pass was picked off by Lake Schultz-Pruner, sealing the victory.
    “I knew it was the last 20 seconds I was ever going to play football so I was going to give it my all, and it might have been the best feeling I’ve ever felt,” said Schultz-Pruner, who also had a fumble recovery and 15 tackles in the game. “It’s about as big of a defensive performance as it gets. State championship game, and we held them to 14, that’s pretty good. I’m proud of our effort.”
    Both Rossville and Scott City entered the game with high-powered offenses, but defense ruled the opening half. The only score of the half came after Schultz-Pruner recovered a fumble at the Bulldawg 18 and Rossville went 82 yards in 14 plays with Horak scoring from three yards out.
Even though the Bulldawgs had struggled the rest of the half to move the ball, Hammes felt at ease.
    “I felt like we weren’t doing things as well as we could have and didn’t execute like we could, but we’re still up 7-0,” Hammes said. “I told the guys at that point, we were in a good spot. And then again at the quarter. It just seemed like toward the end when we needed the focus the most and make some plays when we needed to, we did it.”
    Scott City lost for the first time after a tough playoff run. O’Neil was 16 of 21 passing for 179 yards and also ran for a team-high 41. But Rossville bottled up the Beavers’ tandem of 1,000-yard rushers as Wyatt Kropp and Cooper Griffith managed just a combined 63 yards as Reesor finished with 17 tackles, Ethan Woodcock added 12 and Roduner and Dawson Hammes each had 10.
    “It was two very good teams,” Scott City coach Glenn O’Neil said. “We knew Rossville was very good and we went through some good teams to get here. I’m proud of our effort, but we were just a little short.”

Rossville (14-0)    0 7  0 14 — 21
Scott City (13-1)   0 0  7   7 — 14

Ross — Tu. Horak 3 run (Steinke kick)
SC — Yager 30 pass from O’Neil (Portes kick)
SC — Baker 34 pass from O’Neil (Portes kick)
Ross — Reesor 2 run (Steinke kick)
Ross — Tu. Horak 5 run (Steinke kick)

GAME IN FIGURES
                               Ross          SC
First downs              17            20
Rushes-yards        49-283     42-120
Passing                    54             211
Comp-Att-Int       4-14-0      18-26-1
Punts                    4-38.8       5-36.4
Fumbles-Lost         1-1            3-1
Penalties-Yards      0-0           3-15

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Rossville: Tu. Horak 27-212, Reesor 10-43, Steckel 6-13, Th. Horak 2-11, Hammes 2-6. Scott City: O’Neil 11-41, Kropp 16-38, Griffith 9-25, Yager 6-16.
PASSING — Rossville: Horak 4-14-0, 54. Scott City: O’Neil 16-21-1, 179, Meyer 2-3-0 32.
RECEIVING — Rossville: Roduner 2-33, Th. Horak 1-11, Reesor 1-10. Scott City: Baker 7-99, Meyer 5-35, Yager 4-64, Kropp 2-13.

Dawgs Ready For Championship Game

ROSSVILLE (KSNT) – Last week, Rossville held on to beat Silver Lake 21-14 in the Class 3A state semifinals. It marked the first time that Rossville knocked out the Eagles in the postseason.
    “For us it’s just business as usual,” Rossville head coach Derick Hammes said.    The Bulldawgs certainly have taken care of business in 2014. Other than the two meetings with Silver Lake, Rossville won every game by at least three touchdowns.    “It’s honestly indescribable,” Rossville senior running back/linebacker Nick Reesor said. “Seems like the whole town of Rossville has been congratulating us. Feels great to finally get it done. It’s been a while since Rossville’s been there.”    Rossville hasn’t played for a state championship since 1992. The Bulldawgs lost that lone title appearance against Hesston.    “The reception has been amazing,” Rossville senior wide receiver/defensive back Corbin Horak said. “Pretty much after every game the whole town goes together at the (American) Legion. Hangs out, talking, loving all the players.”    Saturday’s opponent Scott City is also undefeated and beat Halstead in overtime last week.    “It’s an amazing feeling knowing the whole town will be down there to support us,” Horak said.    Rossville’s season is already memorable. Now the Bulldawgs want to add once more victory to make 2014 truly special.    “Come Saturday it should be fun,” Reesor said. “Last game with the boys so we’ll give it our best.”    “I think it would be awesome for those guys to really make their mark on a program with a big victory,” Hammes said.     To see the video that goes with this story,  go to:   

http://kansasfirstnews.com/2014/11/27/rossville-football-aims-for-perfection-in-class-3a/

RHS To Tackle Scott City For 3A Title

From CJOnline

HUTCHINSON — It’s just another week.

That’s the message Rossville football coach Derick Hammes has preached to his team from the start of the season. Set a routine, follow it, and win or lose move on to the next game.

“We tried to establish that a long time ago,” Hammes said. “We just emphasize that process that if we do the things the right way each week when you do have a big football game there’s a business-as-usual atmosphere.”

But this isn’t just another week. This is a week where Rossville is coming off arguably the biggest win in program history, a 21-14 victory over rival Silver Lake in last Friday’s Class 3A state semifinals — something the Bulldawgs had never done.

That makes this week an even bigger game, another opportunity to do something no other Rossville football team has ever done and that’s win a state championship.

At 1 p.m. Saturday, No. 1 Rossville (13-0) will meet No. 2 Scott City (13-0) at Hutchinson’s Gowans Stadium for the Class 3A state title. The only other time the Bulldawgs have played for a championship, it ended with a 3-0 loss to Hesston in the 1992 3A title game.

“We definitely understand what’s on the line,” Hammes said, “and there’s definitely an excitement among the players to see if we can get this done.”

Clearing last week’s hurdle was obviously huge for the Bulldawgs. Eight times in the previous 12 years, Rossville had made it to the brink of championship weekend. Eight times in the previous 12 years, Silver Lake had blocked that path and made the trek to the title game.

Following Friday’s win, several Bulldawg players fell to their knees, partially in exultation and partially in relief after the victory was secured on Thatcher Horak’s 85-yard touchdown run with two and a half minutes left in the game.

It was a victory the program had waited a lifetime for.

“Ever since I can remember, honestly,” Bulldawgs senior Corbin Horak said.

Such victories demand so much focus and energy that a letdown is natural. Only there’s no time for that with Scott City just as big of a test in Saturday’s final.

Hammes doesn’t believe there’s a danger of it happening, either.

“I think our group has a combination of experience and confidence and that’s huge,” Hammes said. “Number one, through the experience factor, they’re not going to let it happen. And they have the confidence in their ability and each other that we’re going to prepare and do everything necessary to win that next game like we have all year.

“The fact that we had (beaten Silver Lake) in two other regular-season games helps us a lot. If this would have been our first victory, it might be a different story. But the fact that we had some recent success against those guys really helped in that game and should help in moving on to the next one.”

While Rossville is making its first trip to the finals in more than 20 years, Scott City is back in the championship game for the second time in three years. The Beavers captured the 2012 state title with a 28-21 overtime victory over Silver Lake in Hutchinson.

In fact, Hutchinson has become sort of a home away from home for the Beavers. In addition to the 2012 football crown, the Scott City boys basketball team won three straight 3A state basketball titles from 2011-13 at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, which is right across the parking lot from Gowans Stadium.

“We’ve been very fortunate to go there so many times,” said Scott City coach Glen O’Neil, who coaches both sports. “It helps with the sense of being comfortable with what they’re going to see on Saturday. They’ve been there before and the basketball kids have been there a number of times. Being in Hutchinson it’s pretty familiar. But at the same time, once you get between the lines, it doesn’t matter where you are.

“It is a sense of comfort, but we know Rossville can knock that sense of comfort right out of us.”

Scott City earned its spot in the title game with a 20-14 overtime win over Halstead in the semifinals. The Beavers’ path has been littered with tough outs — undefeated Norton in the second round and powerhouse Wichita Collegiate in the quarterfinals — after a demanding regular season that included the likes of 4A Division II semifinalist Holcomb and perennial playoff contender Ulysses.

“We’ve had a tough schedule, and we’ve seen a different variety of offenses that has prepared us for whatever we might see,” O’Neil said. “The guys have had to come in every Monday and had to get ready for a different wrinkle — a spread, a wing-T, a power I. They know they’ve got to bring their thinking caps to prepare.”

Rossville’s path, meanwhile, has been equally as tough. After cruising in the playoff opener against Pleasant Ridge, the Bulldawgs have knocked off three straight teams with traditions as rich as any in the state in recent history. Wins over Centralia, Colgan and Silver Lake in three straight weeks gave Rossville victories over programs that have combined for 18 state titles, including 10 since 2000 with a total of 23 title game appearances in that same span.

“We recognize that Scott City, Conway Springs, Beloit and the teams out west have been tough for a lot of years and then it’s been mostly Silver Lake and Rossville on the east side,” Hammes said. “Then you put two tradition-rich programs that moved up from 2-1A in Centralia and Colgan and you’ve got to face one in the regular season, and then for a second time in the playoffs. And you go up against (Colgan coach) Chuck Smith and all the games he’s won and then coach (C.J.) Hamilton and your rival (Silver Lake). I think we’ve had an extremely challenging road to get to where we’re at and we’re awfully proud of what we’ve accomplished. Now we’re ready to see if we can take it one more game.”

Both teams have potent offenses led by outstanding quarterbacks.

Rossville junior Tucker Horak has run for 1,878 yards and 26 touchdowns on just 135 carries (13.9 ypc), breaking his own school record for single-season rushing yards. He’s also passed for 1,595 yards and 22 touchdowns, completing 74.6 percent of his passes.

His counterpart, Trey O’Neil, is the lone holdover starter from the 2012 title team and has completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 1,868 yards and 21 touchdowns, while throwing just two interceptions.

Both have plenty of weapons around them as well. Thatcher Horak has run for 981 yards and 14 touchdowns while also adding 531 yards receiving and eight touchdown grabs. Nick Reesor adds 476 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns, while Christian Roduner (524 yards, 6 TDs) and Corbin Horak (385 yards, 3 TDs) are also threats in the passing game.

Scott City features a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Cooper Griffith (1,181 yards, 18 TDs) and Wyatt Kropp (1,051 yards, 17 TDs). Brett Meyer (598 yards, 7 TDs) and Sloan Baker (562 yards, 7 TDs) are O’Neil’s top targets.

“If you look at them offensively, they throw a lot at you in terms of schemes and formations,” Hammes said of the Beavers, who have racked up 576 points, second only to Rossville’s 656 in 3A. “You have to be on top of your game so you can handle those things. ... You’re defending a team that can run the ball very deliberately and then you’re defending a team that can spread you out. Most nights, you’re defending a team that can really run the ball or a team that can pass it. With these guys, they have the ability to do both and do both within a series of plays. That’s a challenge.”

Dawgfeed 11 On Line

Dawgfeed 11 is now on-line.  You can watch it at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a79YXinMkfo

John Wehner Passes Away

    John Alfred Wehner, 86, passed away Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at his home.   
    He was born October 21, 1928 at Delia the son of John J. and Mary E. Stallman Wehner.
    John graduated from Delia High School in 1947.    Mr. Wehner worked for the Union Pacific Railroad about 10 months then at his father's grocery store in Delia. John A. and Esther Wehner purchased the Delia store on February 19, 1949 and operated it until January 1, 1957. He moved to Rossville and bought Wehner's IGA from his brother Clarence. They added Western Auto in 1959. In 1969 they built the grocery store in Silver Lake and changed from Western Auto to True Value. The new store in Rossville was built in 2001 and Johnny Dollar was opened on July 7, 2006. John was looking forward to the Wehner family celebrating 100 years of business on April 15, 2015. John was a member of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Rossville.   
    Mr. Wehner was preceded in death by his parents, siblings Irene Doyle, Florence Simecka, Clarence Wehner and Kathryn Rezac.    On October 10, 1945 he was united in marriage to Esther Horak in Delia. They celebrated 69 years of marriage. She survives of the home.    Other survivors include three children, John L. (Peg) Wehner, St. Marys, Bob (Jolyne) Wehner, Rossville and Debbie (Rocky) Taylor, Topeka; two brothers, Melvin Wehner, Eudora and Francis (Mary C.) Wehner, Colorado Springs, CO; 9 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild on the way.   
    A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. Monday, December 1, 2014 at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Rossville.    Mr. Wehner will lie in state after 6:00 P.M. Sunday, November 30, 2014 at the church where there will be a Rosary recited at 7:00 P.M.    Interment will be in the Rossville Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Midland Hospice and sent in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple St., St. Marys, Kansas 66536. Online condolences may be sent to www.piperfuneralhome.com

Hildegard Pearl Passes Away

Hildegard J. Pearl, 80, passed away Sunday, November 23, 2014 at St. Francis Hospital in Topeka.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, November 29, 2014 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Marys. Hildegard will lie in state on Friday, November 28, 2014 at the church after 4:00 P.M. where there will be a rosary recited at 7:00 P.M.

Her complete obituary can be read at:  http://piperfuneralhome.com/obituaries/hildegard-j-pearl/

Community Rally and Dinner

The Rossville Booster Club would like to invite All Students, Faculty, Alumni, and Community Members to Join Us for a Community Pep Rally!

Friday November 28, 2014 Rossville High School Doors Open at 5:30 pm Meal Served at 6:00 pm (Commons Area)  Free Will Donation We ask that everyone bring a side dish or dessert to share Fried Chicken With Fixing Drinks and Place Setting Provided Pep Rally at 6:45 pm (Gym) RHS Pep Band with RHS Cheerleaders & Dance Team Video Highlight Reel by Mr. Woodcock  Guest Speakers: Coach Hammes, Senior Football Players There will also be additional speakers including: Mark Luedtke, Jason Broaddus, & Monte McGinnis.

Come Show Rossville High School Your School SPIRIT!! Rossville Booster Club

Community Pep Rally Flyer

Click on  fllyer to enlarge and print

State Bound T-shirts For Sale

Rossville Dawgs STATE BOUND T-shirts for sale!  Short sleeve T $8 Long Sleeve T $12 Crew Neck Sweatshirt $15   Hoodie $20 Please text 640-1667 or 554-8071 Or email twhorak@yahoo.com or shari_gentry@yahoo.com to place your order.  BLACK SHIRTS WITH RED/WHITE LETTERING! Youth sizes S, M, L and adult sizes available. Need orders by 4 pm Tuesday.  Please pass the word!

Silver Lake-RHS 3A Semi-final Photos

    Photos of the RHS-Silver Lake 3A semifinal game can be seen at:
http://rossvilleksphotos.blogspot.com/2014/11/below-are-photos-of-silver-lake.html

Dawgs To Play Scott City In 3A Final

    Rossville will play Scott City for the 3A state championship on Sat., Nov. 29, at 1:00 in Hutchinson at Gowan Stadium at the Hutchinson Community College.
    You can watch the game on-line at:
http://www.ihigh.com/rossville/

Land Auction on Dec. 9

    There will an auction at 10 AM on Dec. 9 at the Rossville Community Center for 155 acres of farmland near Rossville.  The details are at:
http://www.landsofkansas.com/kansas/land-for-sale/155-acres-in-Shawnee-County-Kansas/id/2033651

Dawgs Defeat Eagles 21-14

From CJOnline:
SILVER LAKE — Well after the scoreboard hit 0:00 in Friday night’s War on 24 Class 3A state semifinal, Rossville players and fans remained on Silver Lake’s C.J. Hamilton Field not quite ready to leave.
    So many times before, the hugs being shared were those of condolences after the Bulldawgs’ season had come to an end at the hands of their archrivals.
    Not this time.
    This time — and for the first time in program history — Rossville was able to enjoy the moment and celebrate it to the fullest, knowing its season wasn’t done. After losing eight semifinal games to Silver Lake in the last 12 years, the Bulldawgs finally turned history on its head, pulling out a nerve-wracking 21-14 victory.
    “It’s always in doubt when you play these guys,” Rossville coach Derick Hammes said. “For our community, this is big. Over the years, we’ve had so many good players and coaches. To get the program over the hump, I’m just thrilled and proud of the guys.”
    No. 1 Rossville (13-0) will play in the 3A state championship game for just the second time in program history, the only other appearance ending with a 3-0 loss to Hesston in the 1992 title game.      The opponent next week in Hutchinson is still yet to be determined with No. 2 Scott City (12-0) and Halstead (10-2) meeting the other semifinal at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Halstead.
Silver Lake has had Rossville’s number in the playoffs — the Bulldawgs had never beaten the Eagles in the postseason — and the longer Friday’s game stayed tied, the longer it looked like the Eagles were going to get it done again. Silver Lake locked up the Bulldawgs defensively in the second half and the moment appeared to be engulfing Rossville.
    Instead, the Bulldawgs were merely biding time until they could seize the moment, and when Thatcher and Corbin Horak got it in their clutches, they didn’t let go.
    Two weeks ago, Thatcher had “The Catch,” an acrobatic touchdown grab that sparked the playoff win over Centralia. Friday night, he delivered “The Run.”
    With Rossville’s offense sputtering in the second half after scoring on two of three possessions in the first half, the Bulldawgs hardly appeared ready to break out taking over at their own 15 with 2:31 left.
     Instead, Horak took the handoff, cut inside and then bounced outside. Sprung by a block from Corbin, he sprinted down the Bulldawg sideline, shedding a tackle attempt by Silver Lake’s Cody Renfro near midfield and going 85 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
“I give it to my guys, they blocked the heck out of it,” said Thatcher, who had just five carries, but ran for 101 yards. “If Corbin doesn’t have that block on the edge, I wouldn’t have scored. I saw that green grass and I was like, ‘I’m not going down.’ ”
There was still the matter of coming up with a defensive stand to preserve the win, however, and Silver Lake had had plenty of success moving the ball under the direction of backup quarterback Cole Baird.
    Baird’s 19-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-2 earlier in the quarter had tied the game and the junior, filling in for injured Ryan Matzke, finished the night with 132 yards rushing.
After an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the kickoff following Horak’s run set Silver Lake up at the Rossville 46, the Eagles were in business.
    But one play after an 11-yard run by Baird, he lofted a pass to the Rossville 2 that Corbin Horak and Silver Lake receiver Logan Wolfley battled for. Horak won the battle, yanking the interception down to deny the Eagles.
    “I just saw him scrambling and I knew he was going to throw to the left,” Horak said. “I saw the guy over there and got under it. I was nervous at first, but I thought I had the ball first.”
Rossville was able to run out all but seven seconds and Silver Lake’s final play from its own 46 fell incomplete, setting off Rossville’s long-awaited celebration.
“I thought our kids stepped up and played well,” Hamilton said. “We had opportunities to score right before the half and right at the end of the game at the 2-yard line and they made plays. That’s what the game’s about. It was a great high school football game. I’m proud of this group, and I’m proud of them (Rossville).”
    Both teams scored on their first possessions of the game with Tucker Horak scoring from 13 yards out for the Bulldawg touchdown and Zach Boyd getting the answer for the Eagles on a 4-yard run. Rossville added a second touchdown on a Tucker Horak-to-Nick Reesor 10-yard touchdown pass to take a 14-7 halftime lead, preserved when the Bulldawgs stopped Baird at the 2 as the half expired.
The defenses took over in the second half before Thatcher Horak sent the Bulldawgs home with a season sweep of the Eagles — a first for Rossville. Silver Lake, which had played in 11 of the last 12 state championship games, finished 11-2, its only losses to the Bulldawgs.
    “We just needed to make a play and that was my thought going into the week,” Hammes said. “We have a talented team and we just needed to put ourselves in a position to make a play when we needed to do it. We kept sawing wood and popped the big one that was the difference in the game.”

Rossville (13-0)          7 7 0 7 — 21
Silver Lake (11-2)       7 0 0 7 — 14
Ross — Tu. Horak 13 run (Steinke kick)
SL — Boyd 4 run (Klein kick)
Ross — Reesor 10 pass from Tu. Horak (Steinke kick)
SL — Baird 19 run (Klein kick)
Ross — Th. Horak 85 run (Steinke kick)

GAME IN FIGURES
                                 Ross            SL
First downs                 11             15
Rushes-yards            32-219     47-201
Passing                        92             41
Comp-Att-Int          7-11-2       9-13-2
Punts                       3-29.0        3-29.0
Fumbles-Lost               0-0         0-0
Penalties-Yards          7-61         4-35

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Rossville: Reesor 6-18, Tu. Horak 14-85, Th. Horak 5-101, Hammes 1-12, Steckel 6-3. Silver Lake: Renfro 11-38, Baird 26-132, Boyd 10-31.
PASSING — Rossville: Tu. Horak 7-11-2, 92. Silver Lake: Baird 9-13-2, 41.
RECEIVING — Rossville: Roduner 2-14, Th. Horak 3-62, Reesor 1-10, C. Horak 1-6. Silver Lake: Byers 8-33, Freeman 1-8.

War On 24 Video Coverage

   Kansas First News has good video coverage of the "War on 24" at:
http://kansasfirstnews.com/2014/11/21/football-frenzy-playoff-recap-112114/

    The Academy Game of the Week on WIBW was the latest version of the "War on 24"
http://www.wibw.com/sports/ksprepzone/headlines/Week-12-Rossville-at-Silver-Lake-283520441.html

    A replay of the complete game is at:
http://www.team1sports.com/index.php/videoPlayer/view?broadcast=93216

Dawgs Go To State Champonship Game

The Dawgs Will Go To Hutchinson.

Dawgs beat the Eagles in a nail biter to the end by a 21-14 score.

In the latter part of the 4th quarter,  The Eagles were putting together a long drive to tie the score.  The Dawgs intercepted a SL pass near the goal line with less than 2 minutes left to preserve the win.

More info later.
 

Football Playoff Game On-Line

    You can watch the Eagles-Dawgs play out the latest War on 24 at 7:00 PM,  Nov. 21, at:
http://www.ihigh.com/rossville/

War on 24 Revisited

From CJOnline:

SILVER LAKE — The history is impossible to ignore.
    Eight times in the last 12 years, Silver Lake and Rossville have waged their War on 24 showdown in the Class 3A state semifinals. Eight times in the last 12 years, Silver Lake emerged victorious — part of a run where the Eagles have made 11 trips to the finals in the last 12 years.
    There have been close calls (13-12 OT in 2002; 34-26 in 2004), blowouts (38-0 in 2010, 42-0 in 2007) and everything in between.
    Yet when the rivalry is renewed on the big stage once again at 7 p.m. Friday in Silver Lake, both coaches know that history is something that must be forgotten.
    “Prior to the game, I think it’s more of a big deal,” Silver Lake coach C.J. Hamilton said. “Once the game starts, it’s not even part of the thought process. You’re focused so much on what’s going on on the field and what needs to get done, you don’t really pay attention to the history of it. It all disappears.”
    Rossville coach Derick Hammes agreed.
    “The pressure of it enters both teams’ minds, I would imagine,” Hammes said. “But in terms of preparation and how it needs to be played and what a team has to do in order to win the game, the past doesn’t factor a whole lot into that. Every game is a new one.
    “I don’t think there’s a mental block of any kind, or an advantage for one side or the other. It’s simply a football game and each one is different.”
    The first meeting between the two this season certainly had a different feel to it. It wasn’t necessarily the outcome — a 24-14 Rossville win — that was unusual with the victory the second straight in the regular season over the Eagles that secured a second straight Mid-East League title.
Rather, it was the manner in which the Bulldawgs got the victory. Rossville shut out the Eagles for three quarters and held Silver Lake to just 215 yards of total offense, including just 66 yards on the ground.
    Silver Lake’s offense wasn’t at full strength in that contest, missing tailback Cody Renfro, and likely won’t be again in the rematch.
    The void this time could be even more noticeable as senior quarterback Ryan Matzke is expected to miss the game after being injured (knee, head) in last week’s 20-14 overtime win against Wellsville.
    Matzke has accounted for more than 2,700 yards of total offense this season, throwing for 2,098 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing for 657 yards and 12 scores.
    Junior Cole Baird will take over for Matzke, moving in from his receiver spot where he’s caught 20 passes for 374 yards and two touchdowns. Baird caught at TD pass against Wellsville and ran in the game-winning score in overtime, but has attempted just two passes all season.
    “He just hasn’t had the reps,” Hamilton said. “Even when we got ahead in some of our games this season, we didn’t work him at quarterback because he had enough on his plate at receiver and playing offense and defense both. We didn’t want to burden him with the quarterback situation, too.
“It is what it is and we’re not the only team that’s ever had an injury in a key spot. You don’t know how they’ll handle the emotion and we’re playing a really good team. It’s not like we’re doing this at mid-season against somebody that’s trying to find themselves. Rossville knows who they are, what they’re about and they have a lot of confidence, as they should.”
While Silver Lake has spent the week re-tooling a bit, Rossville enters the showdown with its offense running at full speed. Tucker and Thatcher Horak combined for all eight touchdowns in the Bulldawgs’ 56-19 romp past Colgan last Friday, continuing huge seasons that have helped Rossville put up a whopping 635 points (57.7 per game).
    Tucker Horak, who ran for 192 yards in the first game against Silver Lake, rushed for 198 yards and five touchdowns and also returned an interception for a touchdown, while Thatcher returned the opening kickoff for a score and later caught a touchdown pass from Tucker.
For the season, Tucker Horak has rushed for 1,783 yards and 25 touchdowns, while throwing for 1,508 yards and 21 scores. Thatcher has added 880 yards rushing and 475 receiving, scoring 21 touchdowns.
    “This is a confident group,” Hammes said. “They’ve done this three times now and experience is such a big thing. We’re battle-tested as well. The two games with Centralia in the long run were great for us. Having Lake at the end of the schedule at the end of the year instead of the middle of the season was good. And then going on the road and playing in a different environment at Colgan was good for us.
    “Last year we really didn’t have those same kind of challenges. ... You can look at this year and say it’s been smooth sailing. But there have been things we’ve had to overcome — injuries along the way, an end of the season schedule with some great coaches on the other side. We’ve pulled together and answered challenges.”

Vincent Weeres Passes Away

    Vincent Charles Weeres, 81, passed away Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at his home near Rossville.
    He was born January 28, 1933 at Assiniboio, Saskatchewan, Canada the son of Herman and Lila O’Conner Weeres.  He lived in Canada until moving to the St. Marys community in 1990.
    Mr. Weeres had worked many years for the Department of Highways in Canada.  He had worked for Onyx Collection after moving to St. Marys.  He was a member of St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Maple Hill.
    He was preceded in death by a son Paul Weeres.
    He was united in marriage to Beulah Bastien at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1957.  She survives of the home.
    Other survivors include three sons, Michael Weeres, Kitimat, BC, Canada, Steven Weeres and Brent Weeres Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada; two daughters, Leane (Vincent) VanderPutten, Rossville and Janice Weeres, St. Marys; a brother, Dwight Weeres, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; 26 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren.
    Requiem Mass will be at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, November 22, 2014 at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Maple Hill.  Mr. Weeres will lie in state after 5:00 P.M. Friday, November 21, 2014 at Piper Funeral Home in St. Marys where there will be a rosary recited at 7:00 P.M.  Interment will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, St. Marys. Memorial contributions may be made in Mr. Weeres name and sent in care off the funeral home.

William Olejnik (39) Passes Away

William Olejnik, 93, passed away Monday, November 17, 2014 at his home near Rossville.

He was born March 12, 1921 at Rossville the son of George and Rosie Hejtmanek Olejnik Sr. Bill was a 1939 graduate of Rossville High School.

Mr. Olejnik farmed north of Rossville and sold insurance for WFLA. He was a member of the Rossville Presbyterian Church, the ASCS Board, and the Rossville Township Board for 20 years, serving as treasurer for many years. Bill served as chairman of the Victor 101 School Reunion, was a member of the ZCBZ Lodge serving as president for many years. He was also a member of the Czech Moravan Cemetery Board and served as a caretaker of the cemetery for over 30 years.

On October 6, 1948 he was united in marriage to Christina M. Polson at Rossville. She survives. He was preceded in death by two daughters, Tammy Olejnik and Lila (Doug) Wolc; a grandson Blake Wolc; four brothers, George Olejnik Jr., Rudolf Olejnik, Henry Olejnik and Edward Olejnik; two sisters, Josephine Pressgrove and Georgianne Davis.

Survivors include a son, Robert (Kathy) Olejnik, Rossville; a daughter Lisa (Jim) Pinney, Johnstown, NE; two sisters, Agnes Wike, Topeka and Helen Donley, St. Joseph, MO; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 10:00 until 11:00 A.M. Friday, November 21, 2014 at Piper Funeral Home in St. Marys, followed by the funeral service at 11:00 A.M.

Interment will be in the Czech Moravan Cemetery north of Rossville.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Czech Moravan Cemetery or the Rossville Public Library and sent in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple St., St. Marys, Kansas 66536

Dawgfeed 10 on You Tube

Dawgfeed # 10 is now posted on You Tube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcgKYGEYgWs

Among the more important items covered is Travis VanVleck discussing the grant for improving the downtown area.
Also,  the announcer,  Bilal Channa,  has been chosen as the US Dept of State's Exchange Student of the Month for October out of all foreign exchange students in the US.   This award is discussed near the end of the videocast.    

Rossville Colgan Game Photos

    Pictures of the Rossville Colgan game on Nov. 14 can be seen at:

http://rossvilleksphotos.blogspot.com/2014/11/blog-post.html

Joplin Globe Article On Colgan Game

   From the Joplin Globe: 

   PITTSBURG, Kan. – Just looking at the numbers, stopping Rossville’s offense appeared to be a daunting task.    Boy, was it ever.

    Rossville’s Thatcher Horak returned the opening kickoff for 95 yards, and the top-ranked Bulldogs scored on their first four possessions during a 56-19 victory over the St. Mary’s-Colgan Panthers in the Kansas Class 3A quarterfinals on Friday night at Pittsburg State’s Carnie Smith Stadium.
   Bulldogs junior quarterback Tucker Horak rushed for 198 yards and five touchdowns and passed for 95 yards and a touchdown. He also returned an interception 44 yards for a score late in the first quarter. One of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the state, he entered the game with almost 1,500 yards passing and almost 1,600 yards rushing.

    “No. 11 (Tucker Horak) is a great player,” St. Mary’s-Colgan coach Chuck Smith said. “He’s so quick. He’s a great runner. He’s good throwing the ball also. He’s not an average thrower. He’s a great thrower.”

    Rossville (12-0) will move on to face rival Silver Lake in the state semifinals. Colgan (9-3) ended its season in the 3A quarterfinals for the third consecutive year.

    “We just ran into a really good football team,” Smith said. “I’m really proud of the way our kids hung in there.

    “They have a great football team. They have a lot of weapons. They were up 14-0 before we knew what was going on.”

    After Thatcher Horak gave Rossville a 7-0 lead with the opening kick return, the Bulldogs executed an 87-yard drive that was capped by a Tucker Horak 23-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0 with 7:31 left in the first quarter.

    However, the Panthers did show an ability to move the ball.

    Colgan responded with a 61-yard drive that was capped by an 18-yard pass from Ryan Cedeno to Sawyer Esch to make it 14-7 at the 3:43 mark of the first quarter.

    Rossville answered on its next possession with a one-yard touchdown run by Tucker Horak to make it 21-7 with 42 seconds left in the quarter.

    Twenty seconds later, Tucker Horak intercepted a Cedeno pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown to give Rossville a 28-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

    The Bulldogs gained 411 yards of total offense.

    Austin Commons led Colgan with 191 rushing yards on 29 carries. Cedeno rushed for two touchdowns and passed for another.   
    The Panthers gained 303 yards of total offense, but they turned the ball over four times.

Morning Sun Article On Golgan-RHS Game

From the Pittsburgh Morning Sun:

One name: Horak. Two different players. The two brothers scored all eight of Rossville’s touchdowns in a 56-19 win over St. Mary's Colgan on Friday night.

Running back Thatcher Horak found the end zone on the game’s opening kickoff from 95 yards out.

His brother, quarterback Tucker Horak, scored on Rossville’s next drive on a 28-yard fake handoff run and then added three more touchdowns in the first half to give the Bulldogs a 35-13 lead at intermission. Tucker finished the night with five touchdowns while Thatcher had two.

“They’re both great players,” St. Mary’s head coach Chuck Smith said. “The bad thing is Tucker’s coming back next year. I thought both of them had a great game. I’m proud of our kids. We never quit and the scoreboard might look ugly but the kids hung in there.”

Playing at Carnie Smith Stadium at Pittsburg State, the undefeated and No. 1-ranked Bulldogs proved to be too much for the Panthers (9-3) in the sectional round of the Class 3A playoffs.

“An awful good team beat us,” Smith said. “Opening kickoff, we kicked the ball like we wanted to and Thatcher takes the ball and breaks several tackles and they’re up 14-0 before we know it. They’re a real fine football team. Their quarterback was good. They’ve just got a lot of good players.”

Tucker finished with 16 carries for 198 yards and went 5-6 for 95 yards and one interception.

“Our offensive line has been playing well all year,” Tucker said. “Our line has been opening up holes all year and that’s what sparks us. We got to give it all to them.”

Thatcher had four carries for 58 yards.

Tucker picked off quarterback Ryan Cedeno and returned it all the way back for a 45-yard touchdown in the first quarter to give the Bulldogs a 28-7 lead.

“For us, in the early going, when the game was back and forth, it was our non-offense scores that were very important for us,” Rossville coach Derrick Hammes said.

Tailback Austin Commons had 29 carries for 191 yards for the Panthers. Cedeno had two touchdown runs.

The Panthers punted for the only time in the first half on their opening drive. On their second drive, they found the end zone on a seven-play, 61-yard drive in which Cedeno connected with wide receiver Sawyer Esch for an 18-touchdown pass with 3:43 left in the first quarter.

But the Bulldogs had an answer for everything, and Tucker scored on a 1-yard run to cap a nine-play, 70-yard drive to make it 21-7, Rossville. Two plays later, Tucker scored on his interception return

RHS-Colgan Video

   A short video of the Rossville-Colgan game can be seen at:
http://www.wibw.com/sports/ksprepzone/headlines/Week-11-Rossville-at-St-Marys-Colgan-282747711.html

Old Football Team Photo

A photograph of the Rossville High School football team, supposedly of the 1917 team.  I wonder about that date since I knew some of those men.   Anyone know about that?

 Pictured in the back row, left to right, are Bill James, Howard Bixby, Homer Reid, Fred Stewart, (teacher) Leslie Young, Ed Doud, Dave Stiles, Homer Lasswell, and Edwin Stamp. 
In the middle row are Evan Seely, Marvin Hopkins, Glenn Page, Guy Strimple, and Riley Mitchell. 
Sitting on the ground are Carl Lynde, Ralph Bolin, Burton Lynde, Ralph Page, and Johnnie Lillard. 
This photograph is provided through a pilot project to host unique cultural heritage materials from local libraries on Kansas Memory and was accomplished by mutual agreement between the Northeast Kansas Library System, the Rossville Community Library, and the Kansas Historical Society.

Dawgs Meet Eagles On Nov. 21

    The Kansas 3A semi-final football game pitting Rossville against Silver Lake will be at Silver Lake on Friday,  Nov. 21.

Mid-East Football Standings

Final Mid-East League Football Standings are:

Rossville Bulldogs	12	0	0
Silver Lake Eagles	11	1	0
Riley County Falcons	5	5	0
Rock Creek Mustangs	2	7	0
St. Marys Bears	2	7	0
Wabaunsee Chargers	0	9	0

This includes all games to date,  not just Mid-East games.

Rossville Dominates Colgan 56-19

From the Capital Journal Online:
PITTSBURG — It was only one play and the very first play of the game, but there were none bigger for Rossville on Friday night at Carney Smith Stadium.
    Rossville senior Thatcher Horak took Colgan’s opening kickoff and weaved through the Panther defense for a 95-yard touchdown and the Bulldawgs never looked back en route to a 56-19 Class 3A quarterfinal victory.
    “They got down to the ball quick and about the 10-yard line I thought they were going to light me up and all of a sudden I hit a hole and I don’t know what happened, I just went to the house,” Horak said.
    “We knew how big of a game this was, and who gets the opportunity to play on Pitt State’s field? What an opportunity and we knew they were a really good team and we knew we had to come out and play our best.”
    Horak’s kick return was the catalyst of a huge first quarter that saw Rossville, now 12-0, open up a commanding 28-7 lead. By halftime it was 35-13 and Colgan was unable to challenge the rest of the way as the Bulldawgs punched their ticket for the state semifinals.
    “Getting a big spark like that, it’s huge in a big game like this,” said Rossville junior quarterback Tucker Horak, who followed his older brother’s lead and turned in a monster night. “With these guys’ offense and how competitive they are and their tradition, you give them any life at all there’s always a chance they can come back on you, so we just knew we wanted to get ahead of them early and try to stay on top of them.”
    The Horak brothers scored all eight Rossville touchdowns, including six TDs from Tucker, who scored on five runs and an interception return. Paul Steinke went eight of eight on extra-point kicks.
Rossville forced Colgan (9-3) to punt on its first possession and the Bulldogs put together a seven-play, 87-yard scoring drive to go up 14-0 with 7:31 left in the first, with junior Tucker Horak capping things with a 27-yard run.
    Colgan answered with an 18-yard scoring pass from junior Ryan Cedeno to junior Sawyer Esch with 3:43 left in the opening quarter, but Rossville scored 14 more points before end of the quarter.
Rossville went 70 yards in nine plays for a Tucker Horak 1-yard TD plunge, then Tucker Horak picked off Cedeno on Colgan’s next play from scrimmage and returned the pick 44 yards for a touchdown with 22 ticks left in the first.
    Colgan got back within striking distance on a 4-yard Cedeno run, but the Bulldawgs blocked the extra point try and then Tucker Horak scored his fourth touchdown on a 68-yard run with 6:59 left in the half.
    Thatcher Horak scored his second TD of the game on a 35-yard pass from Tucker in the third quarter, then Tucker Horak scored from 4 and 17 yards out to end the Bulldawgs’ explosive offensive night.
    Tucker Horak finished with 198 rushing yards on 16 carries and was 5-for-6 passing for 95 yards and a TD.
    Colgan senior Austin Commons had a big night in a losing cause, rushing for 191 yards on 29 carries. The Panthers hurt themselves with four turnovers.

Rossville (12-0)     28   7   14    7    =     56
Colgan (9-3)            7   6     6    0    =    19

Rossville — Thatcher Horak 95 kickoff return (Steinke kick)
Rossville — Tucker Horak 27 run (Steinke kick)
Colgan — Esch 18 pass from Cedeno (Cason kick)
Rossville — Tucker Horak 1 run (Steinke kick)
Rossville — Tucker Horak 44 interception return (Steinke kick)
Colgan — Ryan Cedeno 4 run (kick blocked)
Rossville — Tucker Horak 68 run (Steinke kick)
Rossville — Thatcher Horak 35 pass from Tucker Horak (Steinke kick)
Colgan — Cedeno 3 run (pass failed)
Rossville — Tucker Horak 4 run (Steinke kick)
Rossville — Tucker Horak 17 run (Steinke kick)

GAME IN FIGURES
                                  Ross       Col
First downs                 15          19
Rushes-yards           31-316   57-233
Passing yards              95          70
Passes                       5-7-1     5-11-1
Fumbles-lost              0-0          6-3
Punts-avg.               1-33.0      1-37.0
Penalties-yards         8-80 3-      25

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Rossville: Tucker Horak 16-198, Thatcher Horak 4-58, Steckel 7-51, Reesor 2-6, Hammes 1-2, Woodcock 1-1. Colgan: Commons 29-191, Cedeno 10-19, Stewart 11-16, Dellasega 2-7, Hayes 2-4, Wilson 1-(minus)-2, Dickey 2-(minus)-2.
PASSING — Rossville: Tucker Horak 5-6-1, 95 yards; Woodcock 0-1-0, 0. Colgan: Cedeno 4-10-1, 64; Dickey 1-1-0, 6.
RECEIVING — Rossville: Corbin Horak 3-47, Thatcher Horak 1-35, Roduner 1-13. Colgan: Duncan 1-44, Esch 1-18, Normand 1-7, Brown 1-6, Commons 1-(minus)-5.
PUNTING — Rossville: Woodcock 1-33.0. Colgan: Cason 1-37.0.

• 
  

Centrailia Game Photos

    Photos of the RHS game against Centrailia on Nov. 8 can be seen at:

http://rossvilleksphotos.blogspot.com/2014/11/centrailia-game-photos-110814.html

Colgan and Dawgs Matchup Fri.

From The Morning Sun, Pittsburgh, KS. 

    Since 2000, the St. Mary's Colgan Panthers are 46-10 in the state playoffs, entering their Class 3A sectional game Friday night against undefeated Rossville.

    "We've got a really tough game," Colgan head coach Chuck Smith said. "We're playing the No. 1 3A team in the state and we know we have a tough game, but we're glad to be in it."

    Yes, that's 46-10, good for a .821 winning percentage, four state titles (2000-03) and four state runner-ups (2004, 2005, 2007, 2010) this century and 56 playoff games (57 coming up Friday) translate into more than six regular seasons. Colgan also made the state title game in 1999 and last missed the playoffs in 1998, in the days of taking just one playoff team from each district.

    The Panthers (9-2) make a visit for the first time in several years to Carnie Smith Stadium, home of the nationally-ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas, on Friday (5 p.m. kickoff). Pittsburg (9-1) hosts Shawnee Heights (6-4) in a 5A sectional at 7 p.m. Friday at Hutchinson Field.

    Colgan looks for its first 3A semifinal appearance, after being stalled out the last two seasons at sectionals by Mid-East League powers Silver Lake (last season) and Rossville (2012).

The Panthers won at Galena's Abbey Field for the second time this season, 35-18 on Saturday behind 21 unanswered points in the second half to build a 28-6 lead after the Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League rivals played to a 7-6 halftime score. Ryan Cedeno passed for more than 150 yards, Ian Duncan caught six passes for 120 yards and the ground attack produced four TDs.

Opponents have not scored more than 22 points in a game against Colgan: The Rams of Riverton reached 22 in Week 3, Humboldt hit 20 in Week 8, and Southeast and Galena each managed 18. All those games were Colgan victories and their only two losses this season came against Frontenac (14-7) and Columbus (14-12), teams a combined 19-1 headed into sectionals. Frontenac (10-0) travels to Carbondale to play Santa Fe Trail (8-2) and Columbus (9-1) hosts defending 4A champion Holton (9-1).

    The Panthers' D allows 11.9 points per game and that number will be challenged Friday night by an explosive Rossville squad.

SCOUTING THE 'DOGS

    The numbers Rossville accumulated over the first 11 games define ridiculous: 614 points, 55.8 per game, 470.9 yards per game, 331 rushing, 139 passing, 81 total touchdowns, 56 TDs rushing and 10.7 yards per carry. The Bulldogs dialed up 168 points in back-to-back wins over Oskaloosa (77-8) and Osage City (91-22); keep in mind that Colgan's surrendered 131 points over 11 games.

    "They're real good," Smith said. "I watched the Silver Lake game last night and I thought they really put it on Silver Lake. Silver Lake's one of the top teams in the state of Kansas and Rossville really took it to 'em. That's a big rival game for 'em but they still did it."

    Junior dual-threat quarterback Tucker Horak leads the offense: 20 TDs both on the ground and through the air. He's both rushed and passed for over 1,000 yards — 1,587 rushing, 1,409 passing. Horak averages right around 15 yards per carry or a first-down-and-a-half per carry and he's completed 75 percent (93-124) of his passes.

Read more: http://www.morningsun.net/article/20141112/Sports/141119939#ixzz3IzcRoNoz